


lobster lunch, animal crossing and the failed latte arts

by harajukucrepes, hibouxx



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Comedy, Crack, M/M, Sicheng did nothing wrong please save him, the wayv boys are just to make jaehyun's life a living hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26464813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harajukucrepes/pseuds/harajukucrepes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibouxx/pseuds/hibouxx
Summary: Yuta doesn’t need good for nothing admirers who only want him for his gorgeous hair and pretty face, not when Jaehyun is right there pining for his soft voice and boisterous laughter and winning personality.or,cafe au where Jaehyun wants to ask Yuta out; Xiaojun, Yangyang and Hendery decide to "help".
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Nakamoto Yuta
Comments: 12
Kudos: 123





	lobster lunch, animal crossing and the failed latte arts

**Author's Note:**

> \- this is just the two of us messing around while experimenting with something a little different than our usual style  
> \- this is also the first time we are writing something together, so hopefully our writing styles are cohesive enough  
> \- hope you enjoyed as much as we had enjoyed writing it!

**_Yuta and all the customers who only see Jaehyun_ **

Nakamoto Yuta embodies the kind of haphazard flair that’s equally alluring as it is frustrating, and Jaehyun really, really needs to stop trying to pick out the lighter streaks of colour amidst Yuta’s long brown hair, styled up in a bun and kept in place with sparkly bobby pins. He doesn’t stop staring, only because it keeps him distracted from the onslaught of especially bold customers marching up to the register with their numbers on inconspicuous pieces of papers or on the back of old receipts. 

“This is why you need to stop flirting with anyone who shows the slightest bit of interest in Yuta. He’s not going to magically start dating you just because you scared all the potential options away.” Ten, the manager, lightly scolds after the fifth number some girl or guy slips him during his break.

“I’m not flirting with anyone.” He says but doesn’t deny the second accusation. Yuta doesn’t need good for nothing admirers who only want him for his gorgeous hair and pretty face, not when Jaehyun is right there pining for his soft voice and boisterous laughter and winning personality.

Except Yuta is a little on the oblivious, unsuspecting side and when he does turn his attention to Jaehyun, it’s only to kindly tell him that _no Jaehyun_ _we don’t pour the entire pitcher of milk into the latte art and no we don’t stir please, it’s not dalgona coffee_ and to whine about the fact that all the cute customers flock only to Jaehyun. 

So Jaehyun concludes that Yuta doesn’t get hints even if they hit him with the force of a ten-wheeler truck on a downhill slope, and earnestly says _ugh_ , before he continues on with his day.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Jaehyun and a rival (sort of, maybe, probably, perhaps?)_ **

Working in a coffee chain has its perks, mainly, the free muffins they get to take home after closing time and the free drinks in between the hell that is lunchtime and the paced down moments where patrons bury their faces in their laptops and tablets while they sip at their drinks for a subtotal of three hours. 

But mostly, Jaehyun gets to observe Yuta as he tightens his apron around his small waist and makes intricate pokemon characters on the otherwise plain espresso. If he lets out a dreamy sigh or two, it’s only because Yangyang, Dejun and Hendery are not within immediate earshot and there’s only so much internalising he can do until he starts having a meltdown.

Unfortunately, it’s also because he works in a coffee chain that the chance of a love rival appearing out of nowhere is twice more likely than if they were in a close office setting. So when Dong Sicheng walks in through the door one day with his perfect nose and tall and slender physique and Yuta responds to his order of _a venti mocha frappe, 100% sweetness with extra whipped cream and chocolate drizzle please_ with a slightly besotted smile, Jaehyun experiences what could only be creeping trepidation. Especially when Sicheng returns the smile with a polite one of his own and Jaehyun is convinced it belies sinister intentions. One of which is, maybe, trying to lure Yuta into making him personalised coffee everyday. Like a boyfr— yeah he can’t even stomach thinking about it.

Jaehyun turns out to be right, to his absolute dismay, because two days later finds Sicheng at the corner table and Yuta sitting across him during his break. Sicheng is ignoring Yuta in favour of Animal Crossing, judging by the squeaky garbled noises Jaehyun hears whenever he passes their table on his way to clean the one next to it for the third time in the last hour, in a completely unintentional attempt to eavesdrop. 

“Have you, perhaps, considered the option of asking him out? You know then you wouldn’t be wallowing in self pity right now.” Hendery tells him when he catches Jaehyun deliberately scrawling Sicheng’s name wrong on his cup, a little too incredulously for comfort, but he’s the least evil of the bunch of rude teenagers Ten decided to hire on a whim one day so Jaehyun is partially okay with him.

“And what would I get out of that?” Heartbreak? Rejection? No, Jaehyun needs a better action plan, especially if he’s going head to head with Sicheng, who seems effortless in his ability to charm Yuta with his cold disregard and general indifference.

“...A boyfriend, I would assume.” Hendery wilts on the spot, like he’s lost hope in all of humanity. Jaehyun ignores him in favour of glaring across the room. Yes, he’ll need a fool-proof plan, one that’s better than purposely misspelling Sicheng’s name on his venti cup and cutting the sugar level for his drinks to 70%.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Sicheng and his frequently-interrupted animal crossing time_ **

The plan is to distract Yuta from tall and handsome TAs that go to the cafe with the sole intention of marking test papers or developing their Animal Crossing island in peace — and stealing hearts, Jaehyun adds bitterly — and Ten helps him devise a step by step guide to making sure this doesn’t end badly. That means leaving the evil trio out of the loop and trying not to trigger Yangyang’s protective instincts over Yuta. 

“Show him there’s more to you than your inherent talent for ruining latte art and getting the door to the staffroom jammed.” Ten encourages with all the effort of a long-suffering manager who just wants one day of peace. Dejun overhears them on his way out of the toilet, eyebrows shooting up in interest.

“Isn’t this going totally against the employee handbook? Why are you even helping —”

“Hush Dejun, do you wanna suffer through another second of Jaehyun’s pity party?”

“Hey!” Jaehyun’s protests fall on deaf ears.

“No.”

“Then just this time, we ignore the handbook.” 

That’s how Jaehyun finds himself sitting at the same table as Sicheng and Yuta after Ten pulls some strings so they can take their break together, stewing in the awkward air as Yuta pretends to fiddle with his phone like Jaehyun can’t see he’s scrolling up and down the same two photos on instagram. Sicheng looks between them with a pinched expression, probably plotting the ways he can get rid of Jaehyun and have Yuta to himself. 

“Umm...I’m not really sure why I’m here.” Sicheng says instead, putting up the same clueless act. He can’t fool Jaehyun. 

“I told you I’m gonna let you try our newest double chocolate brownie.” Yuta clears his throat and pushes the plate of brownie towards Sicheng. He meets Jaehyun’s eyes and he doubts it’s by chance, _please stop glaring at a customer_ , Yuta mouths to make sure he gets the message across.

“I just wanna get a five star for my island.” Sicheng sighs around his mouthful of brownie after the fifth time Yuta nudges Jaehyun with his elbow under the guise of brushing non-existent crumbs off the front of his uniform. Jaehyun counts it as a success when he gets a whiff of the cologne Yuta’s wearing and realises it’s the one he got him last Christmas after he wrestled Yangyang for the chance to be Yuta’s secret santa.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Jaehyun and the unwinnable war_ **

The thing is, Yuta openly dotes on everyone except Jaehyun. He adores the spawns of the devil like they’re harmless, newborn kittens, as if they’re not out to run the business to the ground with the amount of free drinks they gratuitously consume, and he looks up to Ten even if he’s younger than him. Meanwhile, he won’t hold Jaehyun’s gaze longer than two seconds for some gut-wrenching reason. 

“You definitely creep him out.” Yangyang offers unprompted when Jaehyun makes the mistake of rambling out loud. He responds by jamming the backroom door right when Yangyang’s shift ends so he has to wrestle his way out. He comes out of the backroom a changed man, now very much aware of Jaehyun’s vindictive streak. 

“Don’t mind them. They’re just playing with you.” Yuta tells him one night when they’re left alone to close up — another part of Jaehyun’s plan — and It’s the first time he acknowledges that he is, in fact, aware of the younger staff’s propensity for evil. 

Jaehyun _tsks_ in response and mumbles quietly, “They started a war they won’t win.” which earns him a side eye before Yuta tells him to move aside because he has to mop under the chairs. Jaehyun shrugs and lifts the two chairs effortlessly with one hand around the leg of each. Yuta looks up at him in surprise and Jaehyun counts to four before the older man turns away and pretends to scratch the back of his pierced ear.

He’s not sure what happened but just for the slight hint of scarlet across Yuta’s cheeks, he’s going to count this as progress.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Jaehyun and a rival(-ish)_ **

“He’s just a friend. Like a younger brother.” Is what Yuta tells him when Jaehyun finally gathers enough courage to ask if he’s going out with Sicheng after he sees them walk in together one the morning like it’s the most natural thing, “He doesn’t have a lot of friends here yet, he just moved a few months ago.” 

Jaehyun would feel sympathetic if only Sicheng doesn’t walk up to the counter where Yuta serves him his morning coffee topped with a horrifying amount of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup in the shape of a heart, and beams like a love-struck idiot. What an unjust world, Jaehyun thinks and proceeds to sulk in a corner, nearly using up their stock of espressos and milk as he attempts to recreate one of Yuta’s simpler designs. Ten did say he needs a creative outlet for his emotions and latte art is a convenient, albeit wasteful option.

When Yuta joins him a few minutes after Sicheng leaves for the day, he does so with a small, fond smile, “He was just gushing about his coffee. He really loves sweet things.” he explains softly before he guides Jaehyun’s hand to complete his rendition of a leaf, even if it looks more like cotton candy on a stick. They ignore Hendery’s _how is this cafe still running?_ as he wipes away the milk Jaehyun spilled on the counter and takes inventory of their dwindling supplies.

It belatedly dawns onto Jaeyun that Yuta has just indirectly eliminated the threat to his one sided, maybe slightly delusional (for now) relationship. He doesn’t completely buy it, not because he doesn’t trust Yuta but because he doesn’t trust Sicheng’s intentions, but he does recognise that in the natural progression of things, this is about where he’s supposed to ask Yuta out.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Yangyang and a bet_ **

Yuta comes to work with his hair in an intricate braid and Jaehyun’s stomach does a triple flip at the sight.

“If you pop a boner I swear I’m gonna report you to management.”

Jaehyun glares at the abomination that is Yangyang at opening shift on a Monday. Yuta is arranging the tables near the window, oblivious to Yangyang trying for olympics with the force with which he’s stirring his first dose of caffeine for the day while simultaneously making puppy eyes at his favourite hyung from across the room.

“Ten doesn’t even follow any of the rules himself.” Jaehyun then gives him his best _and_ _I know you sneak muffins in your pocket when Ten is not around_ look.

“Okay, truce just for today.” The younger reluctantly acquiesces but then adds as an afterthought, “but you really need to quit drooling over my emotional support anime boy from afar and actually do something about it.” Jaehyun hopes he manages to convey his distaste for Yangyang’s weeb tendencies with the intensity of his glare.

“I’m not even sure if he likes me like that.”

“If you were more straightforward maybe you’ll know.”

“Are you actually cheering me on?”

“No, I may have made a bet with Dejun and I want the extra lunch money.”

“Why did I even ask?” Jaehyun sighs in defeat and folds up the teen magazine that magically found its way on the counter, but not before bookmarking the page about romance and first dates.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Dejun and his brand new plans_ **

If it wasn’t because of Sicheng’s anguished cries at the Wechat group, Dejun wouldn’t have even considered taking a move on this stupid thing and just watch it implode because if he were to be really honest, honestly honest, it had been actually fun watching Jaehyun fumble around at the cafe scaring customers left and right and snickering while Yuta call him out for it while Sicheng ravishes in the fact that someone finally agrees to make coffee to suit his freakish taste. 

“All I wanted was just some nice sweet coffee to play Animal Crossing with, and now I have to sometimes check if the coffee is even sweet enough,” Sicheng was complaining, “plus you guys are there so I thought it would be nice to be surrounded by people I know but why do I feel like I just got pulled into some real-life Kdrama plot?”

(The mention of Kdrama triggered Yangyang so much that he sent the groupchat a stream of short outbursts because how dare they ever imply that his beloved Yuta would get himself involved in some cliche drama plotline—because, as he was saying, where’s his magical girl?

Hendery tried arguing that maybe Yuta _was_ the magical girl in question but they have all learned some time ago that being pranked with German phrases can be a rather embarrassing experience.)

“It might not be you, it’s because, well,” Dejun deliberates if he should divulge this information to Sicheng, “you’re _special_ to Yuta, you know? Usually all cute ones go to Jaehyun.” 

“Is this it? Is this all because I’m not interested in him? My island is really going nowhere,” Sicheng continues whining and Dejun knows that if they don’t intervene, they are all going to suffer at work seeing feelings being bounced all over the cafe and never reaching the intended recipients while having to consistently warn the customers that _no, Jaehyun is single but we can assure you that he’s not available_ and _no,_ _neither is Yuta and we don’t want to tell you why_ ; then Ten having to keep looking out for signs that the guidelines written in the employee handbook has been violated and finally, poor Sicheng’s island stuck at just one-star. 

So, that was how Dejun ended up texting Ten to alert him of their brand-new set of “plans” (which actually sounded more like vague objectives with random suggestions on how to achieve them) which are infinitely better than Jaehyun’s, then Hendery and Yangyang giving him questionable emojis as responses because Hendery too, would like to avoid getting involved in this as much as possible and Yangyang still resists because he would rather not see a disgusting potential couple being disgusting, but Dejun knows them too well to let them get away with spitting on his ornate intentions. 

  
  
  
  
  


**_Yangyang and a method to his madness_ **

First to act is Yangyang, because any chance to extort lunch money out of Dejun is a chance worth dying for (a sentiment that Hendery had snorted in agreement with) and he made a suggestion based on his “superior understanding of Yuta’s needs” that Jaehyun needs to know about the fundamentals of love, that’s why he drops a teen magazine (“ _Really_?” Ten’s reaction was the most predictable, because it’s how Ten reacts to every one of Yangyang’s self-proclaimed genius plans albeit without denying him the chance to show him how much chaos he could cause) onto the counter and loosened up the pages on first dates and crushes to make it easier for Jaehyun to reach it.

Dejun is so alarmed at Yangyang spilling to Jaehyun about the lunch money bet between them that he almost wants to punch him in the storeroom, but he retracts his fists after Yangyang tells him that there’s a method to this madness because look, he says. 

“He’s trying it,” and Yangyang then directs Dejun’s gaze to the tiny gap at the storeroom’s door and together they see Jaehyun frowning as he silently mouths while reading the advice on the teen magazine. 

Yangyang taps Dejun on the shoulder and gives him a semi-victorious smirk. “I think he’s really going to ask Yuta out, just you watch. Telling him that I have a stake in this—come on, lunch money is still money—makes him drop his guards and now he’s digesting the idea I just fed him with.” 

Dejun stops for a while to think about the abnormality in what Yangyang just told him, then gasps audibly and punches him on the chest. 

“The fuck?” Yangyang exaggerates his winces from the force. 

“You finally agreed that it’s just a matter of time before they date?” 

“No! You stupid pig!” Yangyang grabs him to shush him up. “I just want to see him fail.”

“For what?”

“For the heck of it.” 

  
  
  
  
  


**_Hendery and a great big gamble_ **

Second to act is Hendery, because out of the three of them, Hendery happens to be Jaehyun’s favourite due to his polite demeanor, formal speech patterns and hilarious random exclamations in English (Jaehyun doesn’t know that Hendery the Rudimentary Korean Speaker and Hendery the Acerbic Mandarin Speaker are two separate entities) and therefore is persuasive enough that Jaehyun allows them an hour off from work to discuss with Sicheng about planning their mid-autumn gathering with their other Chinese buddies that ends up being just them trying to convince him into joining them in their “plans”, which Sicheng vehemently declines to play along because why should he sacrifice his precious downtime at the cafe to play matchmaker. 

“I literally have no stake in this,” he says in a way that’s reminiscent of their gambling session talks, “tell me why should I put some of my chips in here when I actually _paid_ for the goods and services to begin with.” 

“First of all,” Hendery explains after clearing his throat and making the gesture of an anime character pushing glasses up his nose, “Yuta’s coffee is the closest to your peculiar taste. If we settle this, we clear all air and you get your favourite coffee however you want, as long as you want.” 

“Why is this sounding like a global warming conference,” Dejun mutters under his breath because he can’t stifle his small laughter at how unironically serious Hendery looks right now despite the subject on hand. 

“Second of all, sometimes the return of investment—”

“I’m not putting my money here—”

“Shhh!” Yangyang whispers because Jaehyun is watching them from the counter, no doubt trying to figure out if they really are actually planning the mid-Autumn reunion dinner. He’s confident that Jaehyun wouldn’t be able to understand them anyway even though he can’t guarantee that Ten, who has decided to stay as an observer instead of an active participant, wouldn’t be able to decipher their plans even with the safeguard (by using comically sophisticated yet borderline archaic Chinese) firmly in place. 

“—as I was saying, investment, but of _time_ , could take a little bit of compromise in the initial stages and in this case, going a little out of character for the sake of moving our agenda forward and once that’s achieved we would be able to ensure that your future conveniences are all but tight and secure,” Hendery continues while Yangyang and Dejun raise their eyebrows knowingly.

Sicheng gives them that look in his face that shows up whenever he’s handed a trump card by his opponent. 

“And what’s in it for me?”

Hearing that, Hendery lets out a smirk and presses his palms on the table and delivers his best deal ever.

“My turnips prices are now at 400.” 

  
  
  
  
  


**_Dejun and a secret information_ **

Third to act is Dejun, because he’s the only one among them without any (intentionally) mischievous streak and therefore, the best person to deliver the news with maximum impact. Yuta has always been fond of him for that, because apparently the way Dejun’s tantrums are borne out of earnestness is endearing —something that both Ten and Jaehyun hotly disagree with because his short fuse means that Hendery and Yangyang would never have enough poking fun at him and Dejun would never not react to them and together they make the cafe ten times more chaotic than it should be. 

“Really?” Yuta’s reaction reminds Dejun of an injured kitten and he almost lets regret hit him if not for knowing that this momentary hurt is for the sake of a bigger purpose, one that Yuta would definitely thank him for in the very near future. 

“Seriously,” Dejun answers, “Sicheng told us yesterday when we had hotpot at Chenle’s mom’s restaurant.” 

“I see,” Yuta sighs. Upon closer examination, Dejun finds it strange that Yuta doesn’t react like a person who’s heartbroken at all, because that shock on his face looks like his brother’s when his father told him at the age of ten that he was not allowed to have that puppy he was so in love with. It even feels a little like Yuta’s not in any way affected at all, except for the fact that he might have lost (Dejun doesn’t know why he feels that, he just does—the Xiao family’s special Super Intuition Power that has been passed down through generations has never failed him) a bet or a race.

“Are you like,” Dejun asks, carefully choosing his words, “not happy? Upset?”

Yuta lifts his head for some careful deliberation before answering. “Just surprised, I guess, because he has never told me that. I would have, you know.” 

“What?”

“Well, you know. Helped him or something.”

Dejun shrugs in his effort to sound absolutely casual, like he absolutely hasn’t been bribing his fellow gang of buddies into causing a deliberate tension between Yuta and Jaehyun. “We were surprised too, we didn’t know he was into that type.” 

“What type?”

“You know,” Dejun is finding himself almost flailing in his attempts to describe Jaehyun, “tall and handsome and whatnot.” 

Yuta sighs again. “And here I thought he was immune to him.”

“What?”

“He was the only one, you know,” Yuta’s voice grows increasingly soft, as though he doesn’t even want to say it, “who didn’t go straight to him.” 

Hearing that, Dejun immediately rushes to place his arms around Yuta’s shoulder. “Are you ok?”

“No,” Yuta says, obviously not lying, because the latte art he’s doing is supposed to be of a Pikachu, but has now become a worm. 

  
  
  
  
  


**_Ten and a (mild) threat_ **

The privilege of closing their act with a glorious finale is given to Ten, who has been tasked to prepare Jaehyun for what is going to hit him after hearing about it from Yangyang, his favourite of the three little devils. 

“The fuck?” Jaehyun blurts out, unaware that the cafe is unusually full due to a street event. 

“Talked to him with Yangyang, and I told him to get on with it,” Ten rationalises, “since you’re obviously never going to be able to make the first move on Yuta, I figured that you might need some sort of disruption that leads you to being punched by me and my babies.” 

“You mean your _devils_ ,” Jaehyun counters, eyes rolling so far back that he can feel them leaving his sockets. “Also, what makes you think that _you_ get to punch me? What have I done to wrong you so?” 

“Easy,” Ten says as he places the cup of iced americano on the pick-up counter, “Sicheng makes a move on you, Yuta gets hurt so you hurt one of my friends; then you reject Sicheng and Sicheng gets hurt and thus making you hurt _two_ of my friends and therefore liable to be punched by me.” 

“So is that it?” Jaehyun says, finally understanding what’s going on. “You guys are just out here openly trying to ruin my life?”

“Hey,” Ten warns, “I’m giving you an ethical option here.” 

Jaehyun rolls his eyes again. The biggest reason why he hasn’t forgotten the so-called employee handbook is because Ten and his three devil spawns keep bringing it up. 

“Are you guys even sure you didn’t hear it wrong anyway? Hasn’t he been making those eyes on Yuta?”

“Dude, just because _you_ have hots for Yuta, doesn’t mean everyone does.” 

“Why did you think I’ve been trying to chase those customers away?” Jaehyun reminds him, “it’s because _all_ of them have hots for him.” 

“That’s what _you_ think,” Ten says as he winks at a regular leaving the cafe. 

“And I’m right.” 

Then the door opens with a ring and Ten turns away to attend to the customer who newly walks in, but not before getting the last words in: 

“Suit yourself, but get some bandages ready.”

  
  
  
  
  


**_Jaehyun and a non-existent solution_ **

Jaehyun doesn’t understand why Yuta feels a little gloomier than usual when he’s not the one with his head on the chopping board because his cafe manager and his three demon children have decided to expedite the mess that is his current non-existent love life. He has rehearsed it over and over and is fairly confident that he would be able to turn him down—except not exactly because Ten would kick him in the balls if he ever does it directly to his face.

“Just casually drops mentions of a girlfriend,” Ten was suggesting, because Sicheng has never been rejected (“Yeah I can see that,” Jaehyun had said, much to Ten’s disapproval) and that he takes hints pretty well so Jaehyun would just have to keep hammering the fact that he has a girlfriend, then once he does that—problem solved. 

Except Yuta doesn’t seem like himself because he keeps adding the wrong amount of milk to the coffees and taking wrong orders and drew latte arts on cups of americanos, which makes Jaehyun more anxious and guilt-ridden because while it has always been his biggest dream to see Yuta’s Sicheng-tinted glasses be broken he hasn’t been expecting that this would be how it ends. He had imagined Yuta getting his romantic fantasy shattered when, say, Sicheng tells him that he has a fiance waiting for him in China, or that he doesn’t like boys, or that he doesn’t like Yuta that way, but not him having a crush on Jaehyun. 

The last thing Jaehyun wants to be is the source of Yuta’s heartbreak and he’s feeling so nervous about the prospect that he can’t even bring himself to stare at Yuta because it’s starting to look like he’s committing a crime against humanity. 

As if on cue, Sicheng walks in and Jaehyun finds his heart skip a beat—he has to see Ten now. 

He taps on Yuta’s shoulder, accidentally startling him, to tell him that he has to excuse himself then bolts straight to the staffroom and corners Ten to tell him that he can’t do this. 

“What the hell?” Ten almost screams, because Jaehyun is being extraordinarily aggressive due to the overwhelming nervousness. 

“I don’t want to screw this up,” he explains. “I can’t afford to hurt both of them at the same time?” 

“After all that you’ve done to hurt Sicheng by giving him less sweetened coffee? Don’t kid yourself.” 

“That’s not ...what I mean.” 

“Unlike you, sir, we take coffee very seriously,” Ten rolls his eyes. “So.”

“So?”

“What’s your solution?”

“That’s the thing,” Jaehyun admits, “I don’t have a solution. Can you ask your babies to maybe tell Yuta that Sicheng doesn’t have a thing for me?”

“No can do,” Ten says, pointing a finger upwards to signify his firmness. “If you were nicer to them, they might have not needed much persuasion.” 

“You know how much of a chaos they are, but just this time, maybe, please?” Jaehyun says, using his attractiveness to sway Ten to his side, internally promising to himself that this time he would have to tell it to Yuta straight whether he acknowledges it or not until he finally _gets_ it. 

Ten’s lips then curl up into a knowing smile. 

“You own this cafe,” he smirks. “You know what to do.”

  
  
  
  
  


**_Yuta and his crush_ **

The thing is, Jung Jaehyun is the kind of man who waltzes into the cafe early in the morning for his opening shift in just a plain white t-shirt and worn out sneakers, with his hair completely flat, and _still_ manages to look like he belongs on the cover of a Vogue magazine. As if that’s not enough, he’s also patient and sweet and lets himself be bullied by the three junior employees when he owns the very cafe they work at. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that three weeks into his new work, Yuta found himself a teeny bit attracted to the young man who was all too eager to be best boss of the year with his persistent (mostly unnecessary) participation. _He keeps spilling things and duplicating orders, he’s the one who’s gonna run his own business to the ground_ , Yangyang confirmed vehemently one time.

Yuta never intended to act on his little crush of course, he’s content ogling from afar and discretely daydreaming on days when Jaehyun puts a little more effort in his appearance and a little more syrup in his voice when he calls for Yuta to help him with his latte art. It’s not that he’s too much of a coward, it’s just that he’s more self aware than most people give him credit for. Someone like Jaehyun who has his life completely figured out at 23 couldn’t possibly want anything to do with a struggling artist who has to work two shifts at the cafe to fund his weekly Shonen Jump subscription. 

It’s not that big of a deal, Yuta tells himself, it’s just a passing infatuation and he’ll get over it, so he does his best to avoid being alone in the same room as Jaehyun and even goes as far as getting Yangyang to teach Jaehyun latte art (so really, he only has himself to blame that Jaehyun’s so bad at it). It’s all fine and dandy until Jaehyun starts entertaining the fantasy of a long line of positively smitten customers, the same ones he used to ignore. Something in Yuta snaps then.

It’s like watching Cinderella’s pretty blue dress turn into rags as the clock strikes twelve or meeting Hendery’s seemingly fluffy, angelic kitten only for it to turn out to be a demon that will make a scratch post of anything or anyone. Yuta is on the verge of questioning if he really knew Jaehyun when the man in question turns away from another starstruck regular at the cash register to give Yuta an unprompted fond, dimpled smile brimming with satisfaction. Like he’s done something particularly praise-worthy and noble.

“He’s not a player. He can’t even ask someone out properly without making a fool of himself.” Ten huffs in poorly restrained laughter when Yuta asks him about it under the guise of citing a possible breach in the employee handbook. Nevermind that he’s reporting the owner of the cafe.

“Then why is he flirting with every single person that comes into that door?”

Ten looks at him funny and Yuta has a feeling he’s being judged but for what, he’s not sure, “You really do make one hell of a pair.”

  
  
  
  
  


**_Sicheng and his crush (?)_ **

Yuta blames it on Jaehyun’s apparent increased popularity when he latches on to Sicheng like a child would to any adult willing to listen to them narrate the ending to their favourite anime five consecutive times with undivided attention. Sicheng’s attention is very much divided of course, between grading test papers and getting Tom Nook off his case about his loans, but at least he doesn’t go all googly-eyed in front of Jaehyun and _at least_ he seems to care more about the coffee than the hot owner who seems hellbent on flirting his way through half of Seoul’s population.

Things take a different turn however, when Dejun drops that bomb on him one day. Suddenly, Sicheng’s quiet indifference to Yuta’s pestering and Jaehyun’s not so discrete staring don’t sit well with him anymore. Because now he’s sure that should Jaehyun bat his eyelashes a little harder, that Sicheng might actually give in because now Yuta knows that behind his new friend’s flippant retorts is a crush he never cared to share with Yuta even after the many hours they’ve spent sitting at the same table together amidst the lunch herd. 

“Do you really just sit here to camouflage your moping?” Sicheng tells him during one of the rare occasions where he’s paying attention, after he notices Yuta being unusually quiet. 

“I’m not moping.”

“I think you are. You’re drawing broken hearts on the table with the condensation from my drink.” They aren’t broken hearts, Yuta wants to say, he’s trying to draw Azumarill but it seems even his drawing skills suffer when he’s a little out of it. Sicheng tilts his head and seems to follow the trajectory of Yuta’s gaze. Yuta rightfully panics.

“You know what? You should really try our new pumpkin latte. I’ll go make you one, it’s on the house.” Sicheng simply shrugs and echoes Hendery’s usual sentiments, _how is this cafe still running?_

  
  
  
  
  


**_Jaehyun and a (not) love interest_ **

For what it’s worth, Jaehyun doesn’t seem to care much about Sicheng outside the one-sided glaring contests he engages him in while Sicheng is waiting for his drink at the counter. Yuta starts to believe that this is some weird mating ritual that’s been flying over his head all this time but then doubts that that’s the case when Jaehyun starts actively avoiding _both_ of them one day. 

He tries to recall any recent incident that could’ve triggered Jaehyun’s fight or flight instincts but comes up with nothing. Jaehyun takes a day off work and everyone’s understandably surprised (that includes his herd of crazy fans) because Jaehyun never misses work, not even for a sick day, which is stupid really.

On the day he comes back, everyone eyes him like he’s a ticking time bomb and Jaehyun seems to notice because he’s more irate than normal and _accidentally_ locks Yangyang in the staffroom again. Sicheng is having his after school coffee at the corner table when Jaehyun punches in the wrong order for the third time that afternoon and surprises everyone when he walks up to the serving counter where Ten sends Jaehyun after banishing him from the register. 

“Hey.” Sicheng clears his throat and Yuta pauses in the middle of wiping a table, watching the two of them closely. Jaehyun is looking around in panic, looking ready to bolt.

“Uhh…” 

“So, about what you’ve heard, actually you’ve—” 

“I’m sorry I’m already in love with someone else!” Jaehyun low key screams over the chatter of the crowd and Sicheng’s face colours in embarrassment and so does Jaehyun’s. 

“—got the wrong idea.” 

Yuta’s jaw pretty much drops because there goes another plot twist. Jaehyun likes someone? Then why the hell does he shamelessly encourage the customers’ advances? Sicheng doesn’t really like Jaehyun? Yuta whips his head in the direction of the counter where Dejun is cowering behind the pastry display under the guise of tying his shoelaces.

Jaehyun lets out an undignified “What?” at the same time Yangyang hisses an audible, “Sicheng you idiot!” who appear to have just broken free from the staffroom at the expense of his carefully pressed uniform.

“Yangyang gave you the wrong idea. He was talking about someone from my class, not me.” Sicheng continues, unfazed by the murderous intent Yangyang has started to give off.

“You little…” Jaehyun growls, looking five seconds away from throttling his staff.

“Hey! I said I heard it from him! Not that it’s him! I—” Yangyang yelps when he sees Jaehyun’s eyes twitch and proceeds to lock himself back in the staffroom until the end of his shift. Jaehyun ducks to the washrooms and Sicheng goes back to his table, whipping out his switch with a look of utter concentration. His island tune plays in the background as another customer complains about a wrong order and Yuta quietly sits at an empty table to ponder what the heck just happened.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Jaehyun and a newfound bravado_ **

The grand, much awaited confrontation happens a few days after the incident with Sicheng and Jaehyun and the moment itself is so unremarkable that Yuta has to spend a whole five minutes trying to convince himself that he didn’t just imagine it.

It goes like this: the cafe is packed and they’re struggling to keep up with the crowd because the kids are suspiciously absent and one particular customer decides to be a dickhead by whining to Yuta about too much sugar, too little milk, not enough chocolate drizzle, runny whipped cream, and Yuta suspects he just wants them to comp him his drink but Yuta’s not about to give in that easily so he stands his ground and asks the guy to _kindly step aside please_ , because he’s impeding traffic.

The guy retaliates by asking for a manager and calling for Yuta to be fired over a 4,000 won drink but then Jaehyun appears out of nowhere and snatches the guy by the arm, practically throwing him out of the cafe while the other customers cheer him on. Yuta watches the scene, only just a little flustered. So what if Jaehyun is handsome and nice and also intimidatingly hot? He’s still out of Yuta’s league.

Then, as if to prove him wrong, Jaehyun cuts the line to the register and interrupts Yuta as he’s about to ring the next order.

“Will you go out with me?”

“What.” He says back eloquently and hears Ten start snickering in the background.

“You heard me. Will you please go out with me?” 

Yuta looks over Jaehyun’s shoulders, at the customers who are watching them in disappointment because does that mean Jaehyun will stop winking at them at every chance? 

“So?” Jaehyun presses, ears already turning bright red. So Yuta decides _fuck that, I’m going for it_ and kisses him square on the lips over the counter. The entire cafe erupts in scandalised gasps and he hears Ten’s warnings about another breach in the employee handbook but he couldn’t care less when Jaehyun cups his face and deepens the kiss.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Yuta and the missing kids_ **

“By the way, where are the kids? I haven’t seen them at work for two days.” Yuta asks when Jaehyun finally lets go of his hand in favour of running his fingers through Yuta’s hair. In front of the pastry display and at least fifteen customers who seem to find their sudden closeness more interesting than what’s on their macbook screens.

“Ugh, if I knew this is how you’re gonna be like I would’ve never let you within ten feet of each other.” Ten fake gags but Yuta ignores him because Jaehyun is smiling _at him_ only and his dimples should really be hailed as one of the wonders of the world.

“They’re suspended.”

“They’re what?!”

“I suspended them.”

“What for?” For a second, Jaehyun looks at him the same way Ten looks at the supply of mangled blueberry muffins after Hendery drops the box of them on the floor every morning without fail. 

“Because they’re meddling little shits who set us up in some sort of kdrama scenario.”

 _Oh_. That explains a lot.

  
  
  
  
  


**_Dejun and a very costly bet_ **

They see Dejun and Yangyang in the Chinese restaurant Jaehyun takes them to for their first date. They’re still suspended but Yuta suspects Jaehyun’s having them come back to the cafe earlier because the lunch herd is a force on its own and Hendery really doesn’t deserve to be lumped together with the other two troublemakers.

Yangyang is smiling triumphantly at a miserable looking Dejun who looks as if he’d rather be anywhere else at the moment when Yuta approaches them excitedly, pulling a grumbling Jaehyun after him. The waiter arrives at the pair’s table around the same time, with a giant plate of lobster, intricately garnished and pungent.

“That looks really good.” _and very expensive_ , Yuta says to them and if possible, Yangyang brightens up further at the sight of him but Yuta doesn’t miss the glare he shoots Jaehyun when he spots him behind Yuta.

“Of course, this is Dejun’s treat after all. Wanna join us?” 

At the other side of the table, Dejun’s face flushes with fury forceful enough to decimate Yangyang’s entire clan. 

**Author's Note:**

> \- thanks for reading!


End file.
